Thanks for expressing interest in or signing up for Friendship Bridge’s September 2019 Health for Life Challenge! We’re glad to have you on board!

This toolkit is designed to walk you through the Health for Life Challenge. You’ll find a sample email, social media posts, photos, statistics, and other information about healthcare in Guatemala. Feel free to adapt the content based your personality and

who you are contacting.

Also in this toolkit is a list of proposed actions you can take to promote your own health. Let your friends and family know about the commitments you’ve made! Fill in the blanks in the email and social media posts below with the steps you’re taking

this month to prioritize your health.

Feel free to reach out to Nicole at neubanks@friendshipbridge.org or (303) 674-0717 if you have any questions! We’ll be in touch weekly during the month of

September to keep you updated on the Health for Life campaign’s progress and to give you new weekly content for social

media and emails!

Happy Fundraising!

–Friendship Bridge

Step 1: Sign up for a fundraising page (and download the app –P2P fundraising!)Becoming a fundraiser in our 2018 Health for Life Challenge is easier than ever! Just go to https://www.friendshipbridge.org/events and click on “Register for the Health for Life Challenge” to get started. Next, click on “Register to Start Fundraising.”

1. Register1A. If you are a new Registrant

Complete the name, address, and phone number information form. Sign in via Facebook (to have your photo, basic contact info, and contacts

pre-loaded into your campaign). Select the Continue as [Your Name] button and follow the steps below for

creating an account. OR create an Account

Fundraising Registration Info page: Complete the form that appears. If you will be creating or joining a team, mark the Yes radio button when asked and either select a team from the list or follow the prompts for creating your own team. Select the Next button to continue.

Order Summary page: Complete the form and select the Checkout button at the bottom.

If you would like to begin your campaign by making a donation yourself, complete the form and select the Submit button. If you would like to make a donation at a later time, simply uncheck the box (under the white box at the top of the page) that says, “I would like to kick off my fundraising efforts with my own contribution,” and select the Submit button at the bottom of the page. This completes your basic registration. If you do nothing else, a basic page will have been created for you and you can start receiving donations.

1B. If you are a returning campaigner Click on the “Register to Be a Challenger” button. You must register for

the 2019 Challenge even if you registered and participated in previous years.

Complete the name, address, and phone number information form. On the next page it will detail an account is already associated. Click where it says to

sign in. On the next page it will ask if you have ever created a fundraiser. Click

where it says “if you have click here to sign-in”

Fill in your username and password from last year’s campaign, or sign-in using Facebook.

When asked which campaign you would like to manage, be sure to select Health For Life 2019

1C. If you forget your password Click the “I Forgot” link on the sign-in page Open the email sent to you to reset password. Select an easy-to-remember password Log in and begin your campaign!

2. Check your campaign donations

You will receive an email confirming your registration. In it will be a link directly to your page.

OR go to the web address above, scroll down to the heading “Find and Donate to a Participant,” and select the orange Find a Participant button. Click on your campaign.

3. Manage your campaign (thank donors, promote it on social media, post updates on your health challenge progress, customize your page, or change your password)

From your registration confirmation email, select the Edit link.

OR scroll to the very bottom of your page (from step 2 above) where you will see in small orange print, “Is this your fundraiser? Click here to manage the page.”

OR use the P2P Fundraising app, which is free to download from iTunes or Google Play.

4. Customize your page

You can go right on from registration to customize your page by clicking the “Complete your fundraising page setup here” button. Or you can do it later.

If you choose to do it later, select the Edit Page tab from the Manage Your Campaign page (from step 3 above).

You can change your photo and the message you want to communicate to your friends.

If you have questions, please contact Nicole or Kyra at (303) 674-0717.

Step 2: Choose a health challenge and prioritize your own health and wellness

Here’s a few ways you can prioritize your own health and wellness this month:

Exercise 3-5 times/week. Drink ½ to 1 gallon of water a day. Make sure you are eating nutritionally dense food. Eat your greens! Get enough sleep. Adults need 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night. Spend time each day meditating. Take a multivitamin every day. Organize a hike or a bike ride, or run a race. Hold a “healthy foods” potluck and invite some friends.

Wondering what preventive health services you should schedule? Here’s a checklist for you to follow.In your 20s +

Annual Checkups Routine Physical Exam OBGYN - Papanicolaou Exam STI test

Dentist Dermatologist Eye Exam Vaccinations Dietician

30s, add: Cholesterol Checks Blood Pressure Checks

40s, add: Mammogram Stress echocardiogram Ophthalmologist

50s +, add: Colonoscopy Bone density scan

Step 3: Email your friends and family and post on social media

Sample Email:

Subject: Support me as I support healthcare for women in Guatemala!

This month I will be ________, _______, and _______. (sample content: scheduling a dentist appointment, making an appointment for my yearly physical, hiking every week, exercising five days a week, eating more veggies, drinking 100 oz of water every day, etc.)

Will you support me as I take on this health challenge?

I ask because I’m joining a movement for the month of September support Friendship Bridge ( www.friendshipbridge.org ) , a nonprofit that creates opportunities that empower Guatemalan women to create a better life. Friendship Bridge provides preventive health services to rural, indigenous women in Guatemala through their Health for Life program. Most of these women lack access to important and often life-saving health services, and health complications often prevent these women from finding a way out of poverty.

Since 2015, we have served over 7,000 women with preventative health services. I’ll share more information about this program and stories of women whose lives it has impacted – women like Manuela who was diagnosed with cervical cancer, received treatment, and today is cancer free!

As Friendship Bridge expands this program to thousands more women this year, I’m standing with them by prioritizing my own health. But also as important, I’m trying to raise $1,000 for Health for Life to provide 40 women with health services and education for a year. (Just $25 provides a woman with health services!) You can donate at my personal page (insert link to your own page), where you can see how even $5 or $10 can make a huge difference. Will you support me as I support women in Guatemala?

Sample Facebook post

This month I’m committing to ________ and ________. I’m doing this to promote health and raise $1,000 for Friendship Bridge’s (tag us on Facebook @microcreditplus) Health for Life program and provide health services for 40 women in Guatemala. You can check out my fundraising page to learn more. Will you support me as I support women in Guatemala? (insert link to your fundraising page)

Step 4: Post on social media throughout September!

We bet most of your personal network is on social media, so be sure to post on Facebook and other social media platforms throughout the month of September. In our weekly emails we’ll also be sending you photos you can share along with these posts. You can also take a photo of yourself with the #HealthForLife sign provided at the end of the toolkit and post it on social media. REMEMBER, use the hashtag #HealthForLife everytime you post on social media. Another good hashtag to use (if you have room) is #FriendshipBridge. If you want to connect with us on social media, you can find us at the following names:

Facebook: @microcreditplusTwitter: @Friend_Bridge

Instagram: FriendshipBridge

Below is some sample content for social media posts.

64% of indigenous women in Guatemala said they did not want to have children in the next two years, yet only 10% had access to contraceptive options. It takes as little as $10 a year to give a woman access to a family planning method. Would you support my fundraising campaign as I support health services like family planning for women in Guatemala?<copy link to your fundraising campaign>

78% of Mayan women aged 15-49 reported never having a cervical exam. With regular cervical exams you can help reduce cervical cancer – the 2nd most common cancer affecting women in Guatemala. Will you donate to my fundraising campaign to support preventive health?<copy link to your fundraising campaign>

Can you imagine your life without access to health services or education about the importance of preventive health? Would you partner with me to provide Guatemalan women living in poverty a healthier future? The money I raise will provide women in Guatemala with access to often life-saving preventive health services.<copy link to your fundraising campaign>

Help me in my mission to prioritize my health by supporting my campaign to empower Guatemalan women with life-saving health services!<copy link to your fundraising campaign>

Step 5: Save the Date: Sept. 20th Health for Life Walk Join us either in your location or with a participating group for our Health for Life walk! Check our website for participating locations, or let us know if you want to organize your own.

Step 6: After the Health for Life challenge endsThank your supporters for helping you raise awareness and funds for women’s preventive health in Guatemala. Let them know how much you appreciate their support!

Sample thank-you email:Thank you so much for supporting my fundraising campaign this month. (Let them know how much you raised) The money we’ve been able to raise will go far in expanding the reach of preventive health services to women in Guatemala. Thank you to everyone who has spread the word and donated. If you’re interested in staying up to date on this health program and what Friendship Bridge is doing to empower women in Guatemala, sign up for their newsletter at www.friendshipbridge.org !

Background on Health for Life programHealth for Life Through surveys and interactions with our clients, we know health complications limit their potential of building a better future for themselves and their children. Some of the most common health complications in Guatemala are preventable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cervical cancer, and sexually transmitted infections. In Guatemala, misconceptions and lack of education about health care, as well as limited access to culturally appropriate services, result in high rates of these preventable diseases. We designed our Health for Life program to specifically address the preventive healthcare challenges that rural, indigenous women face in Guatemala.

Our modelThe Health for Life program provides health education and services to Friendship Bridge clients, in partnership with Wuqu’ Kawoq (Maya Health Alliance). Culturally sensitive exams, consultations, and other services are offered by women nurses who are from the local communities and speak the clients’ indigenous languages. The program also provides mobile clinics that travel to the clients’ communities.

Clients participate in health specific education sessions during their monthly Trust Bank meetings and earn access to the preventive health services package as a benefit of being a Friendship Bridge client. The Health for Life pilot began in 2015 at the Sololá branch, and in 2016 expanded to the Chimaltenango branch. In 2017 we expanded to our Quiché branch, and in 2018 we expanded to our Xela. This year, our goal is to bring our Health for Life services to our 5th branch in Mazatenango. When complex health cases are discovered, clients are absorbed into Wuqu’ Kawoq’s complex care program.

2018 Results

4 Branches now offering health services: Sololá, Chimaltenango, Quiché, and Xela.3,551 clients received health services.

To date we have served over 7,000 women with preventative health services.

Talking Points on Friendship Bridge

Mission: Creating opportunities that empower Guatemalan women to build a better life.

Vision: Empowered women choosing their own path.

What does Friendship Bridge do?

Friendship Bridge provides microfinance, education, and preventive health services to help clients build resilience and pursue opportunities.  We call this our Microcredit Plus program. 100% of our clients are women, and we target rural areas where poverty levels are highest in Guatemala.

Why is Friendship Bridge trustworthy?

Our work in the Health For Life program has received International recognition. In 2018, we were published in the prestigious Healthcare journal:

An article about the success of our program was published by Univision, one of the largest Spanish Speaking media companies in the world:

https://www.univision.com/univision-news/health/in-the-most-isolated-areas-of-latin-america-microloans-are-saving-the-lives-of-indigenous-women?platform=hootsuite

Sample Photos & #HealthForLife Sign: Feel free to share these photos and graphics in your emails and social media posts. TIP: right click to save the image to your computer.

A mobile health clinic nurses preps a client’s arm to insert a Jadelle arm implant, one of the family planning methods offered through Friendship Bridge’s preventive health program.

A client gets her blood pressure checked by a mobile health clinic nurse. Hypertension screenings are one of the preventive health services offered.

A Friendship Bridge client receives a health exam.

"I receive many follow-up phone calls from the doctor and the nurse from the Health Program and their words comfort me and help keep me going. Now I look to the future more calmly and I have the strength to continue helping others who need it. Thanks to Friendship Bridge Plus services, I can see a ray of hope at the end of the road.” Felipa, 40 years old. Felipa received an abnormal mammogram, which is being monitored.

"I had never had a general checkup to see my health as a woman. This has been taboo in the rural areas of Guatemala. Because of shame, we do not go to the women's doctor because the doctor could be a man. Thank you Friendship Bridge for sending us a female nurse to our community to do our medical check-ups. This has helped us to be more confident. I already have three children and, with my partner, we decided to use the family planning method, facilitated by Friendship Bridge. At first, I tried one method, but it didn’t feel right, and I thank the nurse for following up with me to check the side effects. Thanks to her suggestion, last year I changed to another method and this is working very well. I am happy to be a woman, to be a mother, and to be a businesswoman. With three children, I feel happy and I would not like to have more. I think I have a good number of children, so they can aspire to have a better future, full of opportunities that my husband and I can support.” Suliana, 35 years old, 3 children.

Images You Can Use For social media